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A Coast Guard officer accused of drug and firearms offenses, and also accused of establishing a blacklist of Democratic politicians and journalists, could be released if a Monitoring program could be put in place, announced Thursday a federal judge.
Prosecutors describe Lt. Christopher Hasson, 49, as a "national terrorist" and believe that he intended to commit a major bombing. However, the charges against him relate to the illegal possession of weapons and drugs, and Hasson pleaded not guilty.
He has not been charged with any terrorism-related offense or attempted murder and his lawyers tell him that he should be released on bail.
At the US Greenland District Court in Maryland, Judge Charles Day said he took the prosecutors' claims seriously. But he also stated that the charges against Hasson at this stage do not require that he be incarcerated before the trial.
"I do not find detention appropriate," said Day. But, he added, "he must be subject to a lot of supervision."
The judge said that such an arrangement should be developed and presented at a future hearing. There was no immediate word on when it could be.
Hasson was arrested in February at the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington. Authorities say they have found 15 firearms, guns with semi-automatic rifles; More than 1,000 cartridges and large amounts of opioids in his Silver Spring, Maryland apartment just outside the capital. He was also charged with unlawful possession of two mufflers.
The prosecution said Hasson had spent hours reading long statements of killings. On a personal computer, investigators found a list of more than 20 names of Democratic politicians and cable news personalities. Hasson also is described as a white nationalist.
In a case filed earlier this week, prosecutors wrote that Hasson searched the Internet for addresses of two Supreme Court justices. Hasson also used a racial insult in search of the "best" gun to kill blacks. Shortly after, he consulted sites that sell firearms online.
But Hasson's lawyer said there was no evidence that he was planning to carry out an attack and that the government was trying to sue him based on Hasson's research. on the Internet.
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